I made a mistake this week. I overloaded someone with so much information that they backed away from a project. It became just too scary for them.

Nik on Unsplash

It wasn’t my intention, of course. I was trying to be helpful.

So what do I learn from this situation? Well, it’s not about hiding information. It’s about communicating in layers.

And as Simon Sinek said, Start With WHY. I didn’t do a good job of laying out the Big Picture.

I got embedded in a million details.

So to communicate a new concept to people:

  • Start with WHY. Why is this important? Who cares?
  • Then capture the big picture in a very simple summary. A single diagram, a paragraph, whatever works.
  • Then lay out the next level. What are the major components? Can I get my mind wrapped around it, so 5 to 7 “chunks” of activity?
  • Who’s responsible for what?
  • NOW we can perhaps get to the next level of detail, recognizing that I probably only need to hear the detail for the places where I’m directly involved or responsible.

That’s the general model, but of course each situation is unique.

And make sure people are tracking with you. If they get lost, then likely the rest will be overwhelming.